The Farmers Mart Jun-Jul 2020 - Issue 69 | Page 60

60
HUMBERSTONE BANK FARM
JUN/JUL 2020 • farmers-mart.co.uk
‘ Jonathan is always
interested in how the
livestock can help with
the ‘public money for
public goods’ side of
the farm and admits to
having been pleasantly
surprised in the benefits
the cattle have had on
rush management’
Mob: [phone]
All typed of fencing
supplied & erected
Flagging & Setts
Field & enterance gates
Ground works
Building footings
Round baling & wrapping
Full or part service -
mowing to stacking
While Jonathan is very much at one
with the ‘public money for public goods’
ethos and stewardship schemes, he’s
also a livestock farmer at heart having
grown up on his dad Ian’s beef and
sheep farm at Dacre.
‘I’ve been slowly building up the
Swaledale flock and like having them
pure. I keep 250 Swaledale ewes pure
from which I look for 120 replacements
each year. I bought a lot of older ewes to
start with and I’ve been drafting out fairly
harshly to get the quality up quickly. The
other 150 are put to the Texel tup. We
lamb everything from April 5. I buy my
new tups from the breed sale at Kirkby
Stephen. Fat lambs are sold at the marts
in Skipton and Gisburn and we also
supply lambs through the Swaledale
Sheep Society to Marks & Spencer.’
Jonathan is also prepared to experiment
a little, try things out, and is
contemplating trying the cheviot on to
some of his Swaledales.
‘I like to see what might work, suing
different breeds and different dynamics.
There are always improvements that can
be made.’
He introduced Belted Galloways to the
farm in the spring two years ago. He now
also has a pedigree bull called Donald
who he’s looking to improve the herd.
‘The Belties have allowed me to
introduce mixed grazing. It is the first
time there have been cattle on here for a
few years. A lot of hill cattle breeds have
died out because they’ve not proven to
be financially viable but they are coming
back ito vogue among farm shops, village
butchers and leading chefs.’
‘I wanted a hardy breed that would
thrive and live well off rough gras as we
have a lot of it. I also like their distinctive
look. At the moment I’m keeping all
the new-born heifers as replacements
or simply to build up the herd and I’m
selling the males to other farms. Belties
go for beef at around 26-30 months. We
are going for all spring calving.’
‘ I’m looking forward
to taking the farm
forward in every way I
can and I’m delighted
with the recent award’
Jonathan is always interested in how
the livestock can help with the ‘public
money for public goods’ side of the farm
and admits to having been pleasantly
surprised in the benefits the cattle have
had on rush management.
‘The Belties enjoy eating the rushes,
which is great news as too many rushes
are not good for the wading birds.’
The Upland Hub facility now available
at Humberstone is proving popular for
schools, societies and local farmers.
‘It’s a great place to be able to explain
how crucial rural land management is to
wider issues of food production, climate
change, the economy and health and
well-being,’ says Jonathan.
Becoming tenant farmer at
Humberstone has more than fulfilled
Jonathan’s dream, and to have forward-thinking
Yorkshire Water as his
landlord means he is with an organisation
that understands the correlation
between farming and nature and how it
can benefit everyone if handled in the
right manner.
Jonathan’s back up plan saw him
study at Bishop Burton College, working
for both Askham Bryan College and
the Scottish Agricultural College; and
take on an assistant farm manager’s
job on a farm in Lincolnshire. He’d tried
for several farm tenancies prior to
Humberstone, but he’s very happy with
his current situation.
‘I’m farming in my own right, in my
own area near to where I grew up – and
I’m also grateful for my dad’s and all
three of my bothers help too, around
the farm and taking stock to auction.
I’m looking forward to taking the farm
forward in every way I can and I’m
delighted with the recent award.’
New & Used
Tractor sales, import,
retail & export
Tunstall Tractors Ltd have been
trading in new and used second
hand tractors and undertaking
servicing and repair work since
1984, originally under the name
David Tunstall until the formation
of the limited company in 1997.
Proud suppliers of Zetor parts
to Jonathan Grayshon and
Humberston Bank Farm.